A titan in motorsports, H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, longtime Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager, has passed away at 86. His family said he was surrounded by loved one as he died of natural causes, leaving behind him quite the legacy.
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NASCAR legend Richard Pettty openly mourned the loss of Wheeler, saying on X, "I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Humpy Wheeler. Humpy was one of a kind, a true showman and one of the sharpest minds this sport has ever seen. We’ll all miss him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Way back in 1975, Wheeler was hired by Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith. He went on to oversee some of the most iconic NASCAR venues all the way until retiring in 2008. Even if you didn’t know the man directly, if you attended races back in the day, you were affected by his management style.
After all, Wheeler was revolutionary with is “FANS First” approach to managing racing venues. He wanted to get the fans involved and engaged, something many feel is lacking in NASCAR today.
He would get the crowd worked up before races for going out and doing zany stunts, getting people laughing and having a good time. Those antics earned him the moniker “the P.T. Barnum of motorsports.”
Wheeler also took many drivers and other racing professionals under his wing, mentoring them. Many owe at least part of the success in their careers to Wheeler.
Charlotte Motor Speedway released the following statement:
“Charlotte Motor Speedway was blessed to have a leader in Humpy Wheeler who can only be described as ONE of a kind.”
“For more than 30 years, Humpy was a promoter’s promoter at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Alongside our founder Bruton Smith, Humpy pushed the speedway to new and greater heights – establishing the famed 1.5-mile superspeedway as not only the most innovative facility in NASCAR for fan, partner and competitor amenities, but also one of the most progressive in all of sports.”
“Humpy’s engaging smile and flair for promotion were legendary, and his impact on every stakeholder in motorsports will be long-lasting. Often described as the ‘P.T. Barnum of motorsports,’ Humpy not only made his mark with publicity, but also with a laser-focus toward the fans.
“He would often tell his staff to pay attention to ‘the three Ts – tickets, traffic and toilets’ in order to ensure fans have the best possible experience. He would also say it was our job to put a little ‘technicolor in people’s black-and-white lives.’”
“While the motorsports world has lost an icon, the legacy H.A. ‘Humpy’ Wheeler created by building and promoting remarkable events at Charlotte Motor Speedway will continue for generations to come.”
Funeral arrangements haven’t yet been made but will be announced later.
Image via Charlotte Motor Speedway
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